New online
visa service for
families
12 March 2015
With effect from 10 March 2015, family group applications including a Tier 2 main applicant can be processed online rather than via the completion of a paper form.
The Home Office has been busy improving the application process for customers applying to enter or remain in the UK. The online visa service was launched in February 2014 but was available only to those applying for an extension of their Leave to Remain in the UK as a Tier 2 visa holder.
With this recent move, however, the online visa service has now been made available to Tier 2 Family Groups. This means that a Tier 2 main applicant or his legal representative can now make a single online application for the application and his/her dependants.
How will this new online process benefit customers of Smith Stone Walters?
Smith Stone Walters applauds the Home Office for introducing this new online process. We expect this enhancement to speed up the filing and processing of our clients’ application submissions whilst also eliminating the need for multiple forms to be completed in respect of a family’s application submission. A further advantage of the online application process is that a single payment and a single reference number can be made in respect of a group application.
The online service is already available to Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 single Dependant Joiners via both the standard and priority application routes and there are plans to extend this facility to Premium Service customers over the coming months.
Smith Stone Walters hopes that the move into online application processing creates a speedier process for our customers. This extension of electronic facilities to include family dependant groups brings the Home Office one step closer to offering all visa applicants a comprehensive online UK immigration service.
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